Corset stay and corset closure



W. PICKENS .CsET STAY AND CORSET cLosURE June 22, 1937.

Filed Aug. 2l, 1933 j :f2 /Tnvenufv Patented June 22, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT ovl-"FICE Application August 21,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in corsets and has for its main object to provide a j corset with novel stays and stay connection means.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple, efficient and inexpensive corset attaching and detaching means whereby a more comfortable and easy corset fit may be provided for the corset wearer.

Another important object hereof is to provide a corset with a plurality of pairs of corset stays secured upon the corset by sewing stitches and which is provided with a rapid means of instant closure and detachment.

A further object of the present invention is to facilitate the making of a corset with special regard to fitting a person of stout proportions with more ease and comfort than is now found possible with conventional corsets.

20 A still further object of this invention is to provide a corset with slide fastener means of uniting or disuniting the pairs of corset stays, so that the corset may be materially reinforced by the stays Wherever found, and so that the stays may be 25 quickly united to close the corset or disunited for opening the corset.

A still further object of the present inventionis to provide a novel corset stay which is provided with a longitudinal series of holes serving as a 30 means of permitting a corset stay to be sewed upon the corset, and which is further provided with a slide fastener means of uniting the stays together or for disuniting them whenever it is desired to accomplish this quickly and with considerable comfort.

Another object of this invention is to provide a corset with corset stays designed to be united or disunited with or from each other at the will of 40 the wearer, the arrangement being such that when the corset stays are united from bottom to top, the stays cannot possibly become undone or open accidentally as when the wearer bends over.

A final purpose of the present invention is to 45 provide a corset stay as a new article of manufacture in the form of a pair of oppositely arranged corset stays connected by slide fastener hooks with a slide fastener hook engaging means for uniting and disuniting the stays in a manner 50 to permit the stays to be readily sewed upon a corset with the slide fastener arrangement readily accessible to the wearer.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in the combination, arrange- 55 ment and details of construction disclosed in the 1933, Serial No.Y 686,007

drawing and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a fragmental detail view in front elevation of a corset showing my invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a. corset showing my invention applied thereto, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a pair of corset stays united Vby means of my invention, and

Figure 4 is a plan view of a` pair of separate corset stays before they are united showing the stays and tapes.

Referring to the drawing, the parts of my invention are shown. `Figures 1 and 2 show my novel corset stay secured in position upon a corset before a covering strip is secured around the stay to sheath the same concealedly as is the conventional practice with corset manufacturing.

My invention provides, as a new article of manufacture, an individual' corset stay consisting of a fabric tape I3 and a flexible thin steel stay designated I2, one longitudinal edge of the steel stay designed to overlap one longitudinal edge of the tape. Upon the tape overlapping portion of the steel stay are located .longitudinally a series of perforations I5 so that a line of stitching I6 will be sewed upon the tape and pass through the perforations or holes I5 so as to bridge each pair of holes, the latter being preferably spaced at uniform distances apart. It will be seen that the tape I3 projects longitudinally beyond the corset stay I2 so that a longitudinal row of slide fasteners are secured operatively upon the outer longitudinal free edge of the tape. The hooks of the slide fasteners are designated Il while the bars are designated I8.

My stay is made in two parts A and B shown in Figure 1, each of which is constructed ln an identical manner so that their line of slide fasteners or lfastener elements may confront each other. The usual coupler engages both sets of slide fasteners for the purpose of uniting or separating them.

The material of a corset is designated I0 and a pair of corset stays constructed in accordance with my invention may be secured to the corset at any desirable place, so as to bring opposite edges of the corset together. The elastic material of the corset is designated II. The corset stays may be made of a length equal to the corset itsell. I make no claim to the corset upon which my stay is secured.

In operation each stay will be sewed onto the corset by sewing a line of stitches inthe same holes or perforations i5 where the stitches i6 appear. The covering strip designed to sheath the corset stay asis known to those skilled in the art may also be sewed at the same time as the corset to the tape I3 so that the corset engage the stay I2 at one side and the covering (not shown) on the other side of the stay. One line of stitches will be made to secure one longitudinal edge of the covering to the holes i5, while another row of stitches may engage the opposite longitudinal edge of the covering to the tape I3, at one side of the steel stay I3. In this way the steel corset stay will completely encase the corset stay and yet allow the slide fastener elements secured to .the tape I3 to project outside of the sheath. This is the correct way in which to secure the stay of my invention upon a corset. The vital feature of my invention is the corelation of the holes I5 in the steel tape I3 and the laterally projecting longitudinal strip located to one side of the stay and being part of the 'tape itself.

It will be seen that for stout women these stays will be stitched on at just the right places to give ease and a comfortable fit around the body;

at the same time when the coupler link 20 is" taken and slid upon the length of the rows of slide elements I1 that the elements will be united and both stays will be drawn rmly together to appear as the stays do in Figure 2, showing the stays interlocked firmly together. The corset maintains its natural flexibility and yieldableness so the Woman may bend over without the stays coming apart or undone or unfastened as is now the trouble with most corsets Worn by stout women. The corset stays cannot accidentally open, and only aV manual pull downwardly upon the coupler on the part of the wearer will be effective to unlock the stays and to effect their separation as shown'in Figure l. 'I'he coupler being always a part of the corset, the slide ele= ments may easily be connected or disconnected, as the case may be.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that l have provided an ecient means of opening and closing a corset; the corset stays may be made of any convenient length to t any corset; the said elements which are mounted on steel ex= ible stays are strong and durable and they cannot easily be torn oi from the corset. riThe safety coupler acts as a catch to lock the slide elements in two rows. I do not intend to confine myself to the exact details of construction save asi pointed out in the appended claim.

What I desire to claim and seek by Letters Patent is:

As a new article of manufacture a pair of oppov1 sitely arranged corset stays each having a longi-l tudinal row of perforations, the perforations of each stay being spaced apart at equal uniform distances, a separate flexible tape stitched into the perforations of either stay to be secured thereon and having a, free longitudinallateral portion alongside the stay, sets of slide fasteners carried by the confronting edges of said tapes, and a coupler engageable with both sets of slide fasteners for uniting or disuniting the spaced out of contact with the stays.

WAUN'ETIA PICKENS. 

